Deep thoughts by Barack Obama

ABC’s Jonathan Karl touched a nerve when he asked President Obama whether Mitt Romney might have been on to something with his observation that Russia is our number one geopolitical foe. The question came in Obama’s press conference at the Hague yesterday. Obama went into epic BS mode. At the Weekly Standard, Daniel Halper transcribes this quotable quote:

With respect to Mr. Romney’s assertion that Russia is our number one geopolitical foe, the truth of the matter is that America has a whole lot of challenges.

Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neigbors, not out of strength, but out of weakness.

Ukraine has been a country in which Russia had enormous influence for decades, since the breakup of the Soviet Union. And we have considerable influence on our neighbors. We generally don’t need to invade them in order to have a strong, cooperative relationship with them. The fact that Russia felt compelled to go in militarily and lay bare these violations of international law indicates less influence, not more.

So my response then continues to be what I believe today, which is: Russia’s actions are a problem. They don’t pose the number one national security threat to the United States. I continue to be much more concerned when it comes to our security with the prospect of a nuclear weapon going off in Manhattan.

You have to wonder just how weak Russia is, in Obama’s calculation. Is it so weak that it will invade the rest of Ukraine? Moldova? Estonia? Latvia? Maybe!

Obama didn’t have time to flesh out his thoughts into full doctrinal form. Is getting taken over by Russia a sign of strength? Does he stand in admiration of Crimea for being taken over, and of Ukraine for standing down? Their forbearance reflects strength.

Obama’s deep thoughts serve a useful purpose. It’s time to think seriously about weakness. Weakness takes many forms. Weakness doesn’t get much weaker than this.